Damek's Redemption l(-6

by N. J. Walters

  He easily found Sonia’s room and used the power of his mind to silently unlock the door. He slid inside the room and shut the door behind him.

  The light in the bathroom was on but the rest of the room was in darkness. Her suitcase sat on a small bench with her purse on top of it. He could hear a slow plink from the bathroom as water dripped from the showerhead.

  Damek inhaled and caught the fresh scent of soap and woman. He eased over to the bed and looked down at Sonia. Her hair was loose and flowed over her pillow in a profusion of black curls. He leaned down and touched one inky lock. It was soft and silky and he barely resisted threading his fingers through the entire mass.

  She frowned, her brow creasing as she muttered something unintelligible. Damek let the curl slide over his finger, sucked in a deep breath and took a step back to sit in a chair in the corner of the room where the shadows surrounded him.

  Sonia had the covers shoved down to her waist, exposing long, toned arms. The thin white T-shirt she wore did little to disguise her womanly curves. To put it quite bluntly, Sonia was stacked. Her breasts were firm and full beneath the soft cotton. She gave a little snort and turned onto her side, tucking a hand beneath her head.

  Her thick lashes rested on her high cheekbones and her brows were dark slashes, framing her eyes. Her creamy skin was flawless, her cheeks tinged with pink. Even asleep, she pulsed with life and energy.

  Up this close, he could see the resemblance to the long-lost Elizabetta, but there were enough differences that there was no mistaking the two for each other. Sonia’s cheekbones were sharper, her skin finer. Her nose was longer and her lips fuller. He wanted to taste those sweet lips, feel them against his mouth and on other parts of his body.

  Damek closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Her blood pumped through her veins, calling to him like a siren calls a sailor to his death. The whoosh echoed in his ears until it was all he could hear. He licked his lips, his fangs sharp in his mouth. He could almost taste her on his tongue. She would be so sweet.

  He’d leaned forward without realizing it and swore under his breath. He was not a monster to take what was not freely given to him. His needs were met easily these days. Owning a blood bank gave him more than an ample supply of sustenance. But there was nothing quite like the taste of fresh blood, still hot, still pulsing from the vein.

  He groaned and ignored the heavy throbbing of his cock. He’d thought the organ all but dead until a short time ago. Sonia had revived more than one hunger within him. He knew he should leave, but he didn’t. Couldn’t. Not yet. The night was long and he wanted to watch her sleep, watch over her and protect her.

  Hunger beat at him, a result of using so much energy with the hunter when he already needed to feed. Damek was usually careful to ingest blood on a regular schedule, but he’d gotten busy today and had ignored the growing gnawing in his gut, assuming he’d have plenty of time to feed later.

  It was always a drain when he was forced to enter the mind of another. Memories carried emotions, and the power of them often took their toll on him, which was why he didn’t do it often. But it was a skill he’d honed to a sharp edge over the years and wouldn’t hesitate to use it to defend himself or those under his protection.

  Sonia rolled, ending up on her back once again. She kicked at the covers restlessly, shoving them down until they were at the foot of the bed. He smiled when he saw what she was wearing. No silk and satin nightgown for his Sonia. No, she wore a pair of cotton sleep pants in a pale shade of blue with wooly white sheep all over them.

  She should have looked ridiculous in her getup, but Damek knew he’d never seen a sexier sight in his long life. He wanted to peel those amusing pajama bottoms down her long legs, revealing each luscious inch of her skin until she was totally exposed and open to him.

  So many women today flaunted their bodies. While it was their right to do so and he freely admitted to admiring many of their delectable bodies, there was something about the temptation of discovering what was hidden beneath a woman’s clothing that excited him. In this way, he knew he was a throwback to a much earlier time.

  Damek sensed an underlying sensuality to Sonia, one she kept hidden beneath boring business suits and sheep-covered pajamas. She moaned in her sleep and he pulled his gaze back to her face. Was she having a nightmare?

  What he was about to do went against every code he lived by. Damek never intruded into a human’s mind unless he thought his safety or the well-being of those under his protection was in jeopardy. For the most part, he respected the rights of humans to keep their thoughts as their own. Her mind was not a playground for him to enjoy, but he couldn’t bear the thought of her being afraid, even if it was only in her dreams.

  Damek pushed gently, surprised by the natural resistance he hit. Sonia was dreaming and she should have been an open book for him, easy for him to slide in and out of. Most people were when they were in this altered state of mind. What would she be like when she was awake? There was no doubt she was a strong woman, especially on the psychic plane.

  He tried again, careful not to push so hard that he would wake her. It was a delicate task, but he was eventually rewarded when her dream opened up to him. His cock swelled, threatening to explode when he caught his first glimpse of the vision. No, it wasn’t a nightmare Sonia was experiencing. It was an erotic dream.

  Fury whipped through him at the thought that some other man filled her dreams, some other man knew what she looked like naked and in the throes of her passion. He wanted to find the man and kill him for daring to touch such a treasure. His treasure.

  Every muscle in his body tightened, ready for battle. His breathing became slower and deeper, his senses more acute. He knew his emotions were irrational, but he didn’t care.

  He looked harder at the fantasy unfolding in her head and frowned when he realized the man’s face was in shadow, unsubstantial, not real.

  Relief hit him hard and he knew he was in over his head with this woman, this stranger who’d invaded his life such a short time ago. No matter. He’d worry about the implications later. For now, he had access to her fantasies, her sensual desires, and he wasn’t about to waste such a precious gift.

  Damek shifted to try to find a more comfortable position in the chair. It wasn’t happening. Not with his cock pushing against the zipper of his dress pants. He savored the sexual bite, reveled in the heavy weight of his balls. It had been so long since he’d felt much of anything but the never-ending craving for blood.

  Maybe what he was about to do was questionable, but he couldn’t stop himself. No, that wasn’t quite right. He didn’t want to stop himself. Maybe he was closer to going over the edge into bloodlust than he realized, but not even that thought could deter him from his goal.

  Slowly and very carefully, he inserted himself into her dream, letting her dream man take on his features, sliding into her sensual fantasies until he was fully there with her. His clothing was gone and so was hers.

  He propped himself on one elbow, taking a good look at her naked body for the first time. She was breathtaking in her natural beauty. Her pupils were dilated with need, her cheeks flush, her lips parted on a breathy sigh. Her ample breasts swayed with every breath she took and her nipples peaked to hard buds beneath his perusal.

  She moved her legs restlessly, pulling his gaze lower. Her slender ribcage gave way to flared hips and shapely thighs. Her mound was covered with dark curls and he longed to delve beyond them to her moist, hot pussy.

  “Let me have you.” His voice was hoarse with sexual excitement. It was only a dream, but he could make it feel real to both of them if she was willing.

  She licked her lips and liquid seeped from the tip of his cock, a sharp reminder of how long it had been for him. His reality was following him into her dream and he knew even here he would have no control against her natural sensuality.

  He rubbed his thumb over her full bottom lip, loving the way her pink tongue darted out to taste it. He wanted to kiss her, t
o taste her full lips. “Sonia?” he prompted.

  Her lashes fluttered as her gaze narrowed and she nodded. “Yes.”

  Chapter Three

  Sonia stared up into the eyes of the most compelling man she’d ever seen in her life. His black hair fell to his shoulders like a silken curtain and she itched to run her fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked. It was so unlike her hair. The curly mass had been the bane of her existence since she was a child. She’d always wanted hair like his.

  His eyes were hypnotic and she struggled not to simply lose herself in them. His brows were dark and straight and his lips were thin, yet sensual. She could look at them all night, but what she really wanted to do was kiss them.

  “Let me have you.” His low voice mesmerized her and she knew in that moment that she would deny him nothing.

  She licked her lips and he ran his thumb over the bottom one. Her tongue darted out to touch it, to taste him. He was salty and warm and she wondered what the rest of his skin would taste like.

  “Sonia?” he prompted.

  She slowly nodded. “Yes.”

  He smiled at her, a smile filled with an immense amount of male satisfaction. It softened the hard lines of his face, but didn’t dim the intensity of his gaze. If anything, he devoured her with his eyes, letting them flow down her body like a physical caress.

  She stretched, elongating her neck, arching her back so her breasts were pushed upward. She, who normally hid her sexuality, wanted to revel in it. There was something about this man that made her want to explore every fantasy she’d ever had and even some she hadn’t.

  He ran his fingers through her hair, letting it fall back against the pillows. There was something wrong, something she should remember. She frowned, trying to think. It wasn’t easy with his thumb tracing her lips and the curve of her jaw.

  His name. She didn’t know his name. It jolted her to find herself in bed with a man she didn’t know, but she couldn’t say she was afraid, just perplexed. “Who are you?”

  “I am your dream lover.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead, her nose and finally her cheekbones. “I am every dark fantasy you’ve ever had,” he whispered against her lips before he claimed them.

  Oh, he tasted good. Like fine wine and chocolate. She moaned and parted her lips to allow him better access. His tongue delved inward, exploring the inside of her mouth, touching her tongue and teeth. She clutched at his head, tangling her fingers in his hair.

  This had to be a dream. She’d never had a kiss like this in her life. It went on and on, until she was breathless and feared she might pass out. He released her at the last second and smiled at her. She caught a brief glimpse of white teeth and then he was kissing his way down her jawline and neck. He nipped at her collarbone, sending shivers racing down her spine.

  Her breasts ached for his touch and he didn’t disappoint her. He plumped one in his palm and rubbed his thumb over the puckered nipple. “You are truly extraordinary.”

  His praise warmed her. She’d been a nerdy, bookish child and an early bloomer. Her breasts had developed in her early teens, prompting a lot of unwanted and nasty attention in school. She’d learned to downplay them and dressed to hide them until it had become habit. Now, she was glad she was well endowed.

  He lowered his head and his hair fell across her skin, adding another layer to the sensual snare surrounding her. His tongue gently laved her nipple. The light caress sent a bolt of sexual arousal shooting from the peak to between her thighs. She moved her legs against the mattress, seeking to be closer to him.

  Sonia realized she was just lying there, letting him do whatever he wanted. She had this prime male in front of her and she hadn’t touched him at all except for his hair. That was about to change.

  She reached up and touched his broad shoulders. Muscle rippled beneath her hands as she ran them down his thick biceps to his wide wrists. She could sense the power flowing through them and it heightened her arousal to the boiling point. It wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge.

  He opened his mouth and drew her straining nipple in, sucking softly. Sonia cried out, helpless beneath his touch. He growled low in the back of his throat and she felt the sharp rake of his teeth over her breast. Her spine arched and flames seemed to shoot through her.

  He swore under his breath and kissed his way down her ribcage. She wanted to drag him back to her breasts, but she liked what he was doing to her too much to make him stop. His teeth grazed her hipbones, making her shiver. He nuzzled her pubic hair and she automatically parted her legs to make room for him between them.

  Damek had made love to more women than he could ever remember. In the early years after his conversion, he’d wandered the world, taking his pleasures wherever he found them. There’d never been a shortage of women willing to sleep with him. He was a generous lover, in bed and out. But that pursuit had lost its luster after several centuries of watching others fall in love and have families. He’d gotten tired of being only a temporary lover and had started keeping to himself more and more. His last lover had been more than two decades ago.

  No matter. If he still possessed a soul, and he wasn’t certain he did, there was no denying that he’d never been with a woman who made him feel as Sonia did. And this was just a dream, albeit a very realistic one.

  She was warm and alive. She heated his chilled flesh and made him feel as though he belonged. His cock throbbed as blood pulsed through it, keeping it hard and ready.

  He shook his head to clear away the sensual web. The reality of the situation hadn’t changed. She was human and he was a dream, a temporary lover at best.

  He wanted more, so much more. His fangs had lengthened as he kissed and suckled her breasts. He’d wanted to sink them into her silken flesh and let her blood flow over his tongue and into his veins.

  But that would be crossing the line.

  Not that he hadn’t already crossed it by invading her dreams, but he would not take that extra step. His control was precarious enough as it was. The quick thump of her heart beat through his brain like a drumbeat, calling him, enticing him to taste her blood. He shook his head to help clear it and inhaled her unique fragrance.

  Her skin was soft and smell faintly of vanilla. Such a homey scent and one he knew he would forever identify with Sonia even if he never set eyes on her again after tonight. His chest ached at the thought of never seeing her again, but he was realistic. It would be better for them both if he made it impossible for her to find him.

  But he was here now, and he intended to enjoy every moment he could with her. He buried his face in the notch between her thighs, breathing in the musky perfume of her arousal. When she parted her legs for him, he wanted to yell like a conqueror of old. She wanted him. Or at least she wanted him in her dreams. For now, it was enough.

  He settled between her sleek thighs, letting his fingers play up and down her warm skin. A low moan fell from her lips and he gazed upward. She was sprawled across the bed, her lips moist from his kisses and parted on a sigh. Her nipples were hard nubs, inviting him to pluck them with his fingers. But the clock was ticking. He was conscious he was on borrowed time and wasn’t about to miss the feast spread before him.

  Damek lowered his head and dragged his tongue over her slick folds. She was hot and wet and the taste of her arousal flooded through him. Honey and cream paired with a hint of musk. He lapped at her pussy, up one side and down the other.

  Her knees came up and closed around his head, holding him to her. Satisfaction shot through him. His balls were about to explode they were so swollen and tight, but he ignored them, ignored the ache in his cock. Nothing was more important than making Sonia come.

  He found the little nub at the apex of her sex and pressed his tongue against it. She rewarded him with a deep moan of pleasure. Her hips rocked upward, seeking his touch. Damek gave her what she wanted and more.

  He captured her clit between his lips and sucked, tonguing the nu
b. He found the tender opening of her channel and pressed one thick finger into her wet warmth. She sucked him deep into her moist depths and he thought he might lose his mind. It was all too easy to imagine his cock sinking into her welcoming heat.

  She caught his hair in her hands and pulled him closer. He loved that she wasn’t afraid to let him know what she wanted. He wanted her to demand everything from him so he could give it to her. He wanted to conquer the world and lay it at her feet.

  She was dangerous to him, but totally irresistible.

  She moaned and bucked her hips, urging him to hurry. He wanted to eat her pussy for hours, building her orgasm until she was mindless with pleasure. But there wasn’t enough time. She could wake at any time, ending this moment between them.

  He growled as fury engulfed him. He wouldn’t have it. He would taste her passion before she woke.

  Damek inserted a second finger into her silken channel, stretching her, making her accept him. Her inner muscles rippled around him, accommodating him. He pulled them to the edge of her opening and then thrust them inward.

  Sonia cried out and lifted her hips to accept the invasion. Damek dragged one of his fangs over her swollen clit, careful not to pierce the skin. Her entire body snapped taut like a bowstring and she gave a broken cry. Her pussy clamped down on his fingers as she came. Her hips bucked against his hand and he gave her what she needed, let the orgasm play out as long as he could. He released her clit and buried his face against her thigh, his breathing ragged, his control almost shattered.

  He could hear the whoosh of her blood rushing through her veins, smell the sweetness of her cream and taste it on his tongue. Her skin was flushed and damp. He wanted to stay like this forever.

  Damek allowed himself one more taste of her before he moved away. He didn’t look at her for fear even in a dream his eyes would be tinged red, burning with his unquenched lust for her. The need for blood was riding him hard. If he wasn’t as old as he was, he might not be able to withstand the lure of her blood. It was close enough as it was.